The shadows crept through Maxym's room, twisting into grotesque shapes that reminded him of the sneers and scowls of his family on Earth. Voices from his past swirled around him like a tempest, their mocking laughter and cruel taunts echoing in his ears. Their harsh, judging voices were inescapable, shaming him for his stutter, his awkwardness, his inability to live up to their impossible standards.

"Is that really the best you can do?" sneered Sister, her face twisted into a cruel grin. "No wonder nobody takes you seriously."

"You are so embarrassing," Mother chided, her words dripping with disappointment. "Why can't you just speak normally?"

"Pathetic," whispered his classmates, eyes alight with malicious glee. "You'll never amount to anything.” “You don't belong here."

“I don’t raise failures. I'll find something at which you excel, something you can do properly,” warned Father. “You'll finally be worth something to your family, mark my words.”

Maxym felt himself growing smaller and smaller beneath the scrutiny of their judgment, his world shrinking down to a suffocating cage of shame and inadequacy. He longed for escape and solace from their relentless persecution, but in the grips of his night terror, there could be no reprieve.

As the torrent of memories threatened to consume him entirely, Maxym woke with a gasp, clutching at his chest as if he could rip out the ache inside. Nestled in a soft bed, silken sheets and velvet blankets were piled high surrounding him, shielding him from the chill. He didn't recognize the unfamiliar room around him, the sounds of the forest at dawn filtering through an open window.

Suddenly he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, the touch was warm and comforting, a lifeline pulling him away from the remnants of his nightmare. But as his eyes fluttered open, the line between reality and dream blurred, and he found himself staring into the concerned face of Malkyn.

"There now, lil one, 'twas only a dream," he quietly reassured him.

For a moment, the specters of Maxym's past seemed to merge with the loving countenance before him, and panic surged through his veins. Without thinking he pushed Malkyn away, his head throbbing with each beat of his pounding heart.

"Get away!" he cried out, his voice choked with terror and sorrow.

Malkyn stumbled back, ears drooped and expression pained. Maxym's chest tightened with guilt as he realized what he had done. Malkyn was nothing like the tormentors of his past, he was kind and gentle; how could he hurt this man who had shown him nothing but love and acceptance? Yet, Maxym had just struck out in fear and anger, unable to differentiate between the ghosts of his old life and the warmth of his new one.

"Maxym," Malkyn began again, his voice soft and hesitant. "I didn’ mean to frighten ye. I'm so sorry, I was trying to ‘elp."

"Leave m- m- mme alone!" Maxym croaked out, tears streaming down his cheeks as he turned away, pulling the blankets over his head. Maxym whimpered as panic and guilt warred inside him. The weight of his past, mingled with the shame of hurting someone who had only shown him kindness, was too heavy to bear. He wished he could be the bigger person, but the scars that bound him were not so easily shed.

Malkyn's ears flattened further, but he kept his distance, giving Maxym space. "It's okay ta struggle to adjust ta everythin', n ye don’t 'afta rush yerself." His amber eyes glowed with sincerity in the dawn light.

With a sigh, Malkyn shifted into [Feline] form and slunk on silent paws to the door, "I'll give ye some time. When yer ready, we'll be downstairs." Then he was gone, leaving Maxym alone with his thoughts and the lingering phantoms of his past.

I'm doing it again

Failing the ones stuck taking care of me

The voices were so real, so vivid

Why can I clearly remember the inflection of their disdain but not how I-

How I died.

Maxym curled into a ball, listening to the house settle into the muted rhythms of early morning. The woods outside were waking too, birds and beasts stirring in a gradual crescendo.

Old wounds festered, malignant ailments of the soul that even a new life couldn't heal immediately. In the silence Maxym let his tears fall, grieving the loss of the only family he'd ever known and for hurting the new one he was still learning to accept. With the tears came a pledge, a determination to not let his past define him.

System Log

Through practice and perseverance [Resolute] has grown from Tier V to IV

Congratulations! All journeys begin with a single step, no matter how small yours may be.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

Hey, I guessed right, they can level up!

Wait

We’ll be…. Downstairs??

Am I supposed to be abl-

Throwing off his covers, Maxym found his movements much more forceful than he had anticipated. The clumsiness and lack of coordination remained; however, through the long terror-filled night his body had finished its adaption to the physiology of a [Changeling], whose nature is to mimic the race they are supplanting. In this case, Maxym was becoming more akin to an [Eladrin]. He had not quite matched the independence of a week-old fae, but he found his ability to move much closer to a [Human] toddler than the infant he'd expected. Sighing inwardly, Maxym thanked whoever had granted his supposed “request" for not embarrassing him any more than necessary by having to watch himself- or the more relevant and embarrassing, be watched- reliving the immobility of infancy.

Maxym wiped his eyes and took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. It was time to face the day. Getting up from the futon proved to be doable, but walking upright to the door was more challenging than he felt comfortable attempting yet. Silently suffering the indignity, he resigned himself to crawling on his hands and knees from his room through the hallway and to the top of the stairs, where Cloe was seated waiting.

“You made your way on your own! I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, but I’d not expected the change to accelerate your physical growth this much after how much power must have gone into adapting your mind! Come though, let me carry you down now, the stairs are too daunting to undertake alone still yet.”

Cloe picked him up and brought him downstairs, where Malkyn was curled up in a patch of sunlight by the window, tail twitching and purring softly as he nibbled on the remains of his breakfast.

At Cloe's footsteps, Malkyn rolled onto his back, peering up at Maxym with a cautious smile. "Feelin’ be’er?"

Maxym nodded. "I'm sorry abb- b-b- bout earlier."

"Ye needn't wawrry, ma boy." Malkyn casually deflected with as much genuine reassurance and warmth as he could muster.

A lump formed in Maxym's throat. How was it these two near-strangers could show him more affection than his blood kin ever had? He swallowed hard, fighting back fresh tears.

Malkyn padded over and nosed Maxym's hand in comfort. "We've a lot ta shayre with ye today," he said, eyes gleaming with excitement.

Maxym blinked, "Oh r- r- r- rreally?"

Cloe grinned. "Yes. Today you'll learn a bit about your new heritage, our people both raise their next generations to be [Respectful] of the old ways."

"Th- the old w- dw- dw- dw-” Maxym sighed in exasperation, took a breath to center himself, and finished, “Ways?"

Malkyn chuffed in amusement. "Fear not, lil one. 'Tis but tradition and lore, na’ too taxin’." He butted Maxym's leg playfully. "N’after, mayhap we'll go adventurin’ in the forest, ifn ye've the heart for it."

An adventure. The thought lightened Maxym's mood considerably. He managed a small smile and nod.

Cloe laughed and ruffled Maxym's hair. “Good! Now, it's time for you to get some breakfast into you. The [Nourished] state will have worn off by now, and you are still a growing boy!" Addressing Malkyn she continued, "Scamper off and check the area for me if you're taking Maxym out into the surrounding woods later."

Maxym watched as Malkyn disappeared out the door, his fur blending in with the shadows of the trees until he was lost from sight. Alone with Cloe, he felt unsure of what to do or say next; she seemed so much more comfortable with this than he was, treating him with gentleness and respect as if he wasn't still a stranger.

She doesn't have any reason to believe I'm not just a week-old baby endowed with a [Changeling] boosted mind. She can't realize how awkward it is from my side and having memories of my previous life. I hadn't even hit puberty yet, but I have so much more baggage than she expects…

Instead of trying to bridge the divide, he focused on the task at hand- breakfast. Cloe settled him into a highchair he was sure hadn't been there yesterday, and served him a seemingly familiar bowl of gruel. Maxym was only barely satisfied with his table etiquette, but he managed to hold the spoon and eat a few bites on his own. It was warm and nutritious, if not particularly flavorful or [Nourishing].

Maxym slowly ate while Cloe bustled around her kitchen humming to herself as she finely chopped aromatic vegetables and fried them alongside an egg; she wanted to prepare some extra toppings for his food after seeing how much his adaptation had advanced his physiology. From the cupboard, she pulled out a couple of mugs and poured them both hot water from the kettle on the stovetop before stirring in herbs that sent a sweet and slightly medicinal aroma wafting across the room. Maxym waited patiently as Cloe carefully arranged the colorful vegetables and fried egg on top of his bland porridge. She then took a seat across from him at the small wooden table, grinning warmly.

"Ahh," she said with delight. "That's much better."

Maxym smiled shyly and dug into his food, savoring the crispy fried veggies and unctuous yolk of his much-improved meal. Cloe watched him eat with an amused expression, content to sit in companionable silence until he was finished. When he was done, she took away his bowl and kissed his forehead affectionately before getting up to do some chores around the house. Maxym followed her around for as long as he could keep up, happy just to be in her presence without being expected to contribute to a conversation.

Cloe began her work by cleaning the kitchen, and Maxym confirmed his suspicion about the level of convenience and technology available to her in this realm. The stove heated various metal plates with [Runic Heat] engravings to conduct the [Fire attuned] and [Dark attuned] mana, each designed for different cooking techniques. Running water flowed freely from a spigot above the sink, and she filled a basin with hot soapy water to quickly wash up the dishes.

After they finished tidying up the kitchen, Cloe took Maxym around to show him some other magical conveniences around the den. He stared with what he hoped was appropriate wonder as she showed him the controls that regulated indoor temperature and lighting without any need for fireplaces or candles. The walls weren't papered but decorated with [Enchanted] fabric that kept them clean and pristine despite being constantly exposed to dirt and dust from outdoors. Even more impressive were the toilets with bidets that sanitized themselves after each use. She showed him how they worked, noting how seriously he took learning even such mundane tasks.

Maxym followed after Cloe as she made her way through each room of the house, full of admiration for all these conveniences that she explained wouldn't have been available to him in the mortal realm but that he recognized from Earth. He couldn't help but feel relieved about having such creature comforts here; it made him feel at home despite being so different from how he'd grown up before.